I don't know what it is, but lately I have been OBSESSED with London. It's so bad that I may or may not have tried to convince Mike that we should move there soon. So far, I have been pretty unsuccessful, so don't start planning any going away parties yet. Though we won't be living there, that still doesn't stop my fascination with the city. I never been, I'm dying to go, and what better way to connect with a city you know nothing about, than by cooking it's food.

This cookbook that Aleksandra put together is so beautiful. When I think of culinary powerhouses, I think of France, Italy and Spain. When I think of London, I think of Fish & Chips. And that's it. This cookbook has set out to change that stereotype by featuring dishes from it's most popular restaurants and chefs.

THE STATS

Author: Aleksandra Crapanzano
Focus: Culinary Cuisine from London
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Release Date: October 11, 2016

RECIPES

From this cookbook I cooked Chicken Scaloppine with Mushrooms and Marsala, which is the long way of saying Chicken Marsala. I found it interesting that it was in this cookbook considering it is a traditional Italian dish, but figured I give it a shot.

Scaloppine Chicken with Mushroom & Marsala

(as copied from cookbook)

INGREDIENTS

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of olive oil
8 ounces of mushrooms (such a cremini, chanterelles, or porcini) stemmed & sliced
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/2 cup of dry Marsala, white wine, or dry to medium sherry
1 tablespoons of chopped flat-leaf parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to its lowest setting.
Season the scaloppine (chicken) with salt and pepper, then lightly dust with flour. Warm the oil in a wide pan over high heat. Working in batches, add the scaloppine and fry, turning once, until nicely browned on the both sides. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the over, as you cook the remaining scaloppini and the mushroom sauce.
Once all of the scaloppine has been cooked and is in the oven you can begin making the mushroom sauce. Add the mushrooms and butter to the hot pan and cook over high hear until the mushrooms are nicely browned.
Return the chicken to the pan and carefully add the Marsala away from the heat. Cook over high heat until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper, add the parsley for a touch of color and serve immediately.

OVERALL

Overall, I loved this cookbook. Personally I would have preferred that she touch more on what flavors and ingredients make food unique to London compared to other cultures. For instance the chicken Marsala that I made was amazing, but I wish she would have dived into why THIS particular dish was special to London, or what made it different from an Italian dish. My final rating: 4 out of 5.

I received this free book from Blogging for Books for this review. This is an honest review and all opinions are my own.

Cookbook Review // The London Cookbook